


The Flower in the Mirror

by chellerrific



Category: Bleach
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-26
Updated: 2013-06-26
Packaged: 2017-12-16 06:23:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/858877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chellerrific/pseuds/chellerrific
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s the Academy’s annual recruitment fair and there’s only one place they want to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Flower in the Mirror

**Author's Note:**

> Title obviously is a reference to Aizen’s zanpakuto, because the irony of it all was so strong I almost couldn’t stand it. The phrase “lambs to the slaughter” comes to mind.
> 
> Gin strikes me as the type who would put “lol” at the end of his really mean tweets and then feign innocence when called on it.

Momo was beside herself with excitement, Izuru was full of quiet, polite interest, and Renji was bored. Anybody who saw them out of context would assume it was just another day.

It wasn’t, of course. It was the Shin’o Academy’s annual recruitment fair—or, it was a bit too austere of an occasion to be properly called a fair, but that was how everyone referred to it anyway. All the students who were set to graduate that year were allowed to visit the Guard compounds to suss out which divisions they wanted to apply to. Some students took it very seriously, but most just looked at it as a chance to blow off classes for a day and mess around with their former class seniors.

The messing around was fine with Renji, but beyond that he didn’t know why he was bothering. Momo had her heart set on the Fifth, and Izuru would go wherever she went, and he didn’t have a strong enough opinion on any of it to disagree. His ambition was mostly down to “get stronger than Byakuya Kuchiki,” and he could do that pretty much anywhere as well as pretty much anywhere else.

Well, he did have a _bit_ of an opinion: he didn’t want to go to the Thirteenth, because things were still too weird with Rukia and he didn’t want her to think he was stalking her or something, and he didn’t want to go to the Sixth because… well, because. Oh, and he’d be laughed out of the Seireitei if he tried to apply to the Fourth, but that was less personal preference and more safety of the general population.

Anything outside of those was fair game, though, so he saw no reason why he shouldn’t follow his friends to the Fifth for now.

“Oh!” Momo said, pointing. “Look who it is!”

Shuhei jogged over to greet them at Momo’s wave. He still bore the scars of their field trip gone wrong from five years before but his smile upon seeing them was genuine. “Hey. Good to see you guys here. Hard to believe you’re sixth years now.”

 _Please don’t let him start pinching our cheeks and commenting on how big we’ve gotten_ , Renji thought.

Shuhei wasn’t enough of a goof to do something like that, though. “So, you guys thinking about the Ninth?”

Izuru and Momo hemmed and hawed, but Renji said, “Nah, we want to go to the Fifth.”

“Ha, yeah, that doesn’t surprise me. The Fifth is a really popular choice in general.”

“Oh no!” said Momo, clasping her hands together. “Do you think that will be a problem for us?”

Shuhei’s brows went up. “For you three? No way. You guys will have your pick. Any division you want to apply to is going to accept you. Plus, you already know Captain Aizen personally.”

“What’s with the sleeveless look?” Renji asked, his mind wandering already.

“Huh? Oh, it’s a Ninth thing,” said Shuhei, shrugging. “I don’t know how long it’s been tradition. At least since the last captain.”

Renji grinned. “Maybe I should try for a seat there. Wouldn’t want to hide these babies if I don’t have to.” He pushed back one loose sleeve of his uniform and flexed.

“Heh. Please,” was all Shuhei said in response to that. “Anyway, I’m supposed to be looking for prospectives for my division. You know anybody who fits that bill?”

Izuru cleared his throat. “Well, I’m not sure if they’re exactly what you had in mind, but…” He pointed to where three pretty girls were huddled, staring openly and blushing.

Shuhei turned, causing all three girls to start giggling and drop their gaze. “Ah. Well. Regardless of their reasons, if they need someone to show them around, I suppose I could be the one to make that sacrifice.”

“Oh, yeah,” said Momo wryly. “You’re really taking a hit for the team, aren’t you.”

Shuhei grinned. “Oh! Have some brochures. And don’t count the Ninth out completely, okay? Captain Tosen is a great man.” The brochures and his final sales pitch delivered, he waved and dashed off.

“Think that’ll be us in a few years?” Izuru asked.

“Not unless you put some serious work into your deltoids,” Renji said, giving Izuru’s upper arm a squeeze.

Izuru jumped back and away from him. “My deltoids are fine, thank you. And that’s not what I meant anyway. Just, you know. Names and faces people know. Well, all right, they already know Renji, but I don’t think I can blow up the kido training grounds, even if it’s for the sake of being recognized.”

“Your fantastic wit should be enough to get them swooning,” Renji said. He swung at the back of Izuru’s head with an open palm, but Izuru ducked it without even turning.

“Hey, look. A note from Captain Aizen.” Momo had the brochure open, going straight to the section on the Fifth. “‘Our division is home to many bright, wonderful people. I like to think of my subordinates as my family. If you think this sounds like something you would enjoy, I hope you will give the Fifth Division some consideration. We would be honored to have you. Please do your best to graduate from the Academy and join us soon!’ Oh, isn’t he wonderful!” She clutched the brochure to her breast.

Izuru and Renji exchanged glances. Momo’s crush on Captain Aizen could be a little over-the-top at times. Still, it didn’t hurt anyone and she’d probably get over it once she got to know him as a person rather than some distant mythic figure.

Renji turned his attention to his own brochure. It gave a bit of an overview on all thirteen divisions, with a word from the captain and lieutenant of each. He found himself absently looking at the section for the Sixth. Byakuya Kuchiki had only ascended to the captaincy very recently, but he had already established his tight-fisted control of the place. He’d probably been preparing for years, since it had always been a foregone conclusion the position would one day be his. The quote he’d given for the brochure was terse, a few words about law and decorum.

Renji snorted and mentally drew a big red X over that section.

Because it was clear Momo would never settle down until they went there, the three set out for the Fifth. Renji and Izuru both looked through their brochures as they went, but Momo seemed to have already read all the information she considered relevant.

As weird as she could be, Renji appreciated seeing her so happy. Her smiles were infectious and he and Izuru both wore matching grins as they walked.

“Ah!” Momo said, her eyes lighting up. “We’re here! Isn’t it lovely?”

Renji had once heard Momo refer to a pile of dead leaves as lovely, so he tended to take her use of the word with a grain of salt. The Fifth Division was nothing remarkable in appearance, he thought—better than anywhere back in Hanging Dog, certainly, but the food carts in the business district were too, so that wasn’t saying much.

“Yes,” said Izuru, nodding at Momo. “It’s not just the appearance, it’s the atmosphere. There’s something… ineffable about it.”

“‘Ineffable’?” Renji repeated. “Isn’t it a bit early for you to be bringing out your five hundred-kan words, Lord Kira?”

Izuru gave him a bit of a smirk, the kind he wore when he was affording himself a moment of mild superiority. “I do like to spread the wealth around sometimes.”

“Hey, Momo, refresh my memory: what’s the division for annoying snobs?” Renji asked.

Izuru laughed. “It’s the one right next to the division for stray dogs.”

Renji didn’t mind when Izuru poked fun at his background, because he was never malicious about it, and besides, it was always in response to Renji teasing him about his own first. So when he socked Izuru in the stomach, he was sure to pull his punch a bit.

“Now, now, Abarai. Beating up classmates this early in the morning is a bit crass, even for you.”

“Lieutenant Ichimaru!” Momo squealed as she and Izuru quickly bowed. Renji followed their example, belatedly.

Gin stood over them, smiling his usual smile. “I was so hoping I’d run into my three favorite Academy students today. Lucky me!”

Gin wasn’t that much older than them, about the same age as Shuhei really, but it was hard to think of him that way. He was something of a legend in the annals of the Academy and the Guard, and rumor had it he was next in line for a captaincy.

The sooner the better as far as Renji was concerned. If there was one reservation he had about going into the Fifth, their lieutenant was it.

Momo and Izuru didn’t seem to share those sentiments, though. Izuru would respect and follow any superior officer without question, and Momo was inclined to automatically think highly of anyone close to Captain Aizen.

“Renji wasn’t beating me up, sir,” Izuru said, somewhat dilatorily. “Just a bit of good-natured roughhousing between friends.”

Gin cocked his head slightly. “Ah, but surely you know roughhousing is strictly forbidden here and carries severe punishments?”

The three of them stared at him, a bit stricken.

He grinned, showing teeth. “Just kidding!”

All three let out their breath audibly.

“So, I suppose the three of you are hoping to wind up here when you graduate,” Gin went on airily. “Would you like me to give you the standard tour?”

 _Hell no!_ Renji forced himself not to say.

“We’d be honored, sir!” Izuru said instead.

“All right then. We’re outside the barracks right now. That’s Captain Aizen’s room up there.”

“Where?” Momo’s head snapped up so fast it was a wonder she didn’t break anything.

“Right there, though I hope you’ll keep in mind that sneaking into the captain’s quarters without permission is generally frowned upon.”

Momo flushed scarlet. “N-no, no, I was just curious!”

Renji felt further annoyed by this. Sure, he and Izuru teased Momo about her over-eagerness sometimes, especially when it came to Captain Aizen, but that didn’t mean it was okay for just _anybody_ to say things like that, especially a creep like Gin.

“What’s that over there?” Izuru asked, pointing to the tops of buildings they could just see over the wall.

“That’s part of the Sixth,” Gin said. “Kuchiki Country. Any of you considering that as an alternative?”

Renji snorted without meaning to and instantly regretted it.

“What’s that, Renji dear? Are _you_ considering the Sixth?” Gin glanced over his shoulder, raising his brows. “Oh, that’s right! Captain Kuchiki’s sister is a friend of yours. How does that work, anyway? She’s a Kuchiki and you’re…”

Renji glared at the lieutenant’s badge on Gin’s arm. The reminder of his position was absolutely the only thing keeping Renji from grinding that smug grin into the dirt.

“Now, Gin. You know it’s not polite to make such comments.”

Renji nearly jumped out of his skin. He had been completely unaware there was anyone following behind them, never mind _Captain Aizen_.

He, Izuru, and Momo quickly turned to give respectful bows.

“Captain Aizen,” said Gin. “I was only teasing the prospectives a bit. No hard feelings of course. Right, Renji?”

“None at all, sir,” Renji grunted, having to bite down on his tongue to get the words out.

“Very well. Gin, you can go find another group to show around. I’ll take these three from here.”

“C-C-C-Captain Aizen!” Momo stammered. “S-surely you’ve got more important things to do than—”

“Than get to know the young shinigami who will soon be my newest recruits?” He gave them a warm smile. “I can’t think of anything, personally.”

“We’re not in the Guard _yet_ , sir,” Izuru pointed out pragmatically.

“Oh, I think it’s a safe assumption you’ll all be graduating by year’s end. And when that time comes I fully intend to welcome the three of you into the Fifth with open arms. Ah.” His expression turned thoughtful. “If you intend to apply here, that is. I don’t want to seem presumptuous. Will you be?”

Momo and Izuru practically fell over themselves assuring him the Fifth was, in fact, their first choice. Even Renji found himself nodding along enthusiastically. Captain Aizen was just the kind of man you wanted to say yes to.

He smiled again. “Good. I’m honored and humbled to hear it. Just between us, I’ve been hoping that would be the case since we met in your first year.”

“Really?” Momo said, and Renji had to suppress the impulse to grab her lest she go flying into space.

“Really,” said Captain Aizen. “It’s true that what you did that night was against instruction, and if I may be frank, you had little chance of success. But you knew that and you turned back to help a comrade anyway. It showed great courage and loyalty. Perhaps I shouldn’t be impressed by disobedience, but I must confess I was.” He gave a small chuckle. “I hope I don’t give you the impression that I want you to disobey my orders when you’re my subordinates. That would be bad.”

Momo and Izuru were quick to assure him that that had been a one time thing and they would definitely respect and follow all orders as shinigami of the Guard.

Renji gazed up at the sky and scratched his cheek with his index finger.

“I wish we could continue this discussion, but unfortunately I shouldn’t. I really _must_ spread myself around a bit today. Will you mind terribly?”

“Of course not, Captain Aizen!” Momo said. “It’s been such a privilege to have this chance at all!”

Captain Aizen nodded at them. “The pleasure was mine. I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.”

Momo was on cloud nine for the rest of the day, and even Izuru and Renji found themselves unable to stop smiling. Captain Aizen had personally asked them to join his division! How many new recruits could say _that_?

It took surprisingly little effort for Renji to put aside his misgivings about working under Gin. It would be temporary, he was sure, and Captain Aizen was such a rational and fair man that if the two of them did end up butting heads, the captain would hear both sides, despite their difference in rank. Renji would just have to make sure Gin was always the one at fault, which probably wouldn’t be too difficult.

He wished, dimly, that he could tell Rukia about all of it. Maybe he couldn’t now, but he was one step closer to the day he could.


End file.
